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3/30/13

*Just a reminder that I'll be hosting a super fun meet-and-greet and
afternoon of shopping at Henri Bendel at Lenox Square in Atlanta April 6th!
For all details, check out the full post here. Hope to see you there!

Hey Everyone! Hope you all are having a fabulous weekend so far! I've finally caught a bit of a break around here with all the moving madness going on. We've been in our new house one week today! It's been so much fun putting the house together. Anyway, I'll be back on my regular posting schedule very soon! I cannot WAIT for you all to see my new filming space. We've been working on that and my new walk-in closet for the past few days now (hint). ;)
Anyway, I've been loving this new palette from Sigma Beauty lately and have been creating some really fun Spring looks with it. This one is really colorful, but still very wearable. I'll do a tutorial soon on the bright blues and greens in the palette as well. The combos are endless and it's so fun! Hope you guys love it

3/21/13

*Just a reminder that I'll be hosting a super fun meet-and-greet and
afternoon of shopping at Henri Bendel at Lenox Square in Atlanta soon!
For all details, check out the full post here. Hope to see you there!

Hey everyone! Hope you all have had a fabulous week so far! So as I'm knee neck deep in boxes around here preparing to move into our new home tomorrow (for more on our move, click here), I decided to take a little break and share with you all my go-to 5-minute makeup routine. Seriously, this is what I do most days when I'm in a hurry and want to still look put-together. Hope you guys love it!

3/18/13

*Just a reminder that I'll be hosting a super fun meet-and-greet and
afternoon of shopping at Henri Bendel at Lenox Square in Atlanta soon!
For all details, check out the full post here. Hope to see you there!

Waaay back in January (ok, maybe just a little back) I got my hands on the much-anticipated limited edition Resort Palette by Sigma Beauty a little ahead of the curve. I've been so excited to share my thoughts about it with you all because to me, it's everything a colorful palette should be.

Seriously, let me explain.
Ok, so when you see this palette, you immediately think "fun" and "colorful". However, it makes sense. I've said it a hundred times, but one of my biggest peeves is when a fun and colorful eye shadow palette has no "workable" colors. Colors that you use to deepen and define the shades and the eyes (black, gray), brighten the eyes (highlight shades), and blending shades (tans). No matter how fun and colorful of an eye I create, I ALWAYS pull for those shades as well to make it work. So excited that this palette has it all. Not to mention a blush shade (think Nars Orgasm without the frost), a versatile liquid highlighter, and a fun double-sided eyeliner with an awesome pop of blue.

So when I travel or if I just want an easy go-to palette I can grab for everyday, I can reach for this and pack light. No need to pack separate "natural makeup" and "fun makeup" products. It's all there. Love it.
The pigmentation of the colors is awesome.

Muse, Fawn, Luna, Topaz

Papaya, Moonbeam, Neela, Midori

Dual-Ended Liner Pencil in Daydream & Earth Goddess

Liquid Highlighter in Luminesce

The Resort Palette is available today on Sigma Beauty's website! Get yours here and save 10% through April 30th with code "AAM2013"

Look for a tutorial using the palette coming up this week on my YouTube channel!

Palette provided by Sigma Beauty with no agreements or obligations to feature on my blog or videos.Post contains affiliate links.

*Just a reminder that I'll be hosting a super fun meet-and-greet and afternoon of shopping at Henri Bendel at Lenox Square in Atlanta soon! For all details, check out the full post here. Hope to see you there!

So here it is... Part 2 of my complete skincare routine! This time, I'll be showing you all of my go-to products I use at night to keep my skin clear, clean, and glowing. Like I said in my Morning Skincare Routine post, skincare should be fitted to your skin's needs. Never feel like you should stick with products all from the same brand or products that you may not need. Over the years, I've found that it's best to stick with what works. When your skin changes or new issues come about (in my case, more sensitivity and dryness... but still the occasional breakout), try some different products suited for your specific needs. Drugstore or high-end, great products can be found everywhere!
Because skin needs different things during the day that you may not need at night, my Nighttime Routine is very different. At night, I love to use different treatments and use more moisture-intensive products. So for me, daytime skincare is more about controlling oil and preventing breakouts, nighttime is more suited toward exfoliating, anti-aging, and moisture. Different products, different routine.

Check out my picks below and don't miss My Nighttime Skincare Routine video for all of the details on the products themselves and how I use them!

3/15/13

Happy Friday Everyone!
So excited to finally announce a big meet up that's in the works for my Atlanta loves!! So crazy because being from Atlanta myself, I've never actually done an actual meet up here! So how amazing will it be to not only meet up and get to hang out with you all, but to also get to do it at one of my favorite shopping spots in the city? ...Henri Bendel!

Those of you who have followed my videos for a while know that I'm a bit Bendel-obsessed. So when they reached out to me offering a great place to host an amazing get-together for me and all of my fabulous Atlanta subscribers, I was super excited!

So this fun afternoon of shopping and getting together will take place on Saturday, April 6 from 2-4 pm at the Henri Bendel store at Lenox Square. Not only will there be goodies and Champagne, but a 20% discount is always fun too, right? There will also be a few other surprises and maybe even a giveaway for those who attend. ;)

I'm SO excited to meet you all, get a chance to hang out a bit, and to shop for some amazing things together for Spring.

*Don't forget to RSVP to mknapp@limitedbrands.com if you're planning to attend to help them plan accordingly for the crowd.

3/14/13

In the midst of our moving madness around here, I decided to film a much-requested video as of late... My Skincare Routine. However, since my morning and night-time routines are very different, I decided to separate the two into different videos.
Those of you who have followed me for the past several years have probably noticed my skincare routine has never changed too much. I'm the type of person to stick with what works. As the years have passed *cough* I've gotten older *cough* and my skin has definitely changed. It's gotten a bit dryer and far more... finicky. Yes, that's the perfect word, finicky. So months back, I decided to change things up a bit. I'm so happy that I've found some great things and a routine that is perfect for me. For this new routine, I definitely don't stick to one particular brand or line. I found that it was actually a lot easier to put together the perfect regimen by selecting separate products by different brands that were suited to my skin type and which did exactly what I wanted them to do.

So here they are... My new Morning Skincare Products. Also don't miss my actual Morning Skincare Routine video for more tips on the products and how I use them!

Little moving update for ya... um, did I forget to tell you guys on here? We're totally moving! SO crazy.
I've been in a whirlwind of packing and moving stuff over the past few weeks so you've probably seen me complaining talking about that on twitter.
So let's start at the beginning...
Brad and I had planned on finding a new house this year. Which is bittersweet because we love our current house. But we needed more space. A big backyard for our 80lb Golden Retriever, Waylon (he's been demanding a larger space for a while now), and a basement for Brad to have some "man" space.
With the housing market slowly on the rise again, we figured why not go ahead and start looking.Well, we quickly found the perfect one for us. It's been a whirlwind and so exciting.We decided to keep our current house as well for an investment rental. So it will definitely be nice not having to coordinate a sale AND a purchase.
Of course when we move in, I'll share a few photos here and there. We also plan on documenting lots of our projects and decor along the way on here or maybe even a whole new home-specific blog. We'll see. ;)
I. Am. So. Excited.
So let's be real... These past few weeks have been so hectic with packing and preparing for the move. I haven't had as much time for blog posts that don't necessarily coordinate with videos. I'll get back in the groove of that soon when things calm down. However, keeping up with my videos and coordinating posts on here is always a must for me. Since we move in roughly a week, I knew I needed to start packing up the "makeup room". Buuut I still needed to film and post videos. So when we found out the move was "go", I started filming videos like crazy so that I could have plenty to post as usual before the move and to cover me for a few weeks after. Just in case the new makeup room doesn't come together as quickly.

Let me tell you... It is going to be SUCH a relief to have that room packed up and to get all the makeup to the new place. ;)
So that's the news from around here lately. It's been crazy and hectic, but it's going to be so worth it. Can't wait to share more of the journey with you all!

3/7/13

One of the most asked questions that comes my way involves makeup and photography. Specifically how to look amazing in photos. Because makeup plays such a huge role in photography, its important to know a few basic tips when it comes to choosing the right products when you know cameras are going to be pointed your way.
Here are my best basic tips:

Use a primer made specifically for "blurring" pores and mattifying skin on areas of enlarged pores or where shine breaks through.

Choose a foundation with a more matte or natural finish that is long-wearing

Avoid loose powder to set your foundation. Choose a pressed powder that has a more natural finish and apply it sparingly.

Choose a blush without heavy frost or shimmer

Choose eye shadows without a lot of frost. Using all frosted eye shadows can sometimes cause them to photograph similar and wash out the color. Choose highly pigmented shades in matte formulas or ones with a light sparkle or shimmer instead.

Don't skimp on liner or volumizing mascara! Making your lashes stand out is key in flattering your eyes in photography. Liner on your upper lashlines and volumizing mascara does the trick. You can also opt for false lashes if yours are very short or for an extra dramatic effect.

Light contouring and highlighting can make a huge difference (see video for specific techniques)

Choose a lip color darker than your natural lip shade with a bit of shine or shimmer

For more tips and info on specific products I always reach for when I'm being photographed, check out my video below all about makeup for photos!

3/4/13

Hello and Happy Monday to you all!
So to start the week, I wanted to share with you all a pretty, soft green look perfect for Spring!
It's a COMPLETE full-face drugstore makeup tutorial. Yep, from foundation to brows to all the makeup products in between. It wasn't by any means a struggle to pull together all these products. They're truly things I love that collectively create an awesome look that you'd never guess was created by using products on the cheap. I've always loved drugstore products, but I'm becoming a total convert. ;)
Hope you guys love it!